Own Your Reputation with Ratings and Reviews

Today we’re taking two ways to create a great place to work… and we’re blending them together in this fun, exclusive video from Workspace Digital.

If you’ve ever shopped online, downloaded an app, or watched a movie… you know about the power of ratings and reviews. But this video is for the rest of us who don’t sell on amazon, own a restaurant, or promote our services on Angie’s list. I’m going to show you why positively rating your own company, a client or partner’s business or even a person you work with is one of the best professional gifts you can give.

First… the what and the where. The power lies in leaving ratings and reviews on sites like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Yelp. Don’t get this confused with liking or following… these forms of engagement are great, but they won’t have the major impact I’m about to show you.

Next, the How. Each platform is different, but this video will show you how to leave reviews and ratings on two of the sites.

First, Google. Make sure you’re logged in with a google account, search for the business you want to review. Scroll down on the google places section and click the ‘write a review button’. You can rate with stars, write comments and even upload photos.

Facebook has recently changed their rating system. Go to the page of the business you want to recommend. Navigate to the reviews tab or button – which may be in different places based on the type of page and how it’s been setup. Then recommend the business. Facebook will create a score based on cumulative reviews.

Finally… the why. This is the part that will surprise you… the major “why” here is because of Google. Before someone does business with a company, or refers a company, or comes to work for a company… they are likely going to research that company using the number one website in the world – google. Your reviews and ratings of that company, regardless of what platform you left them on, are going to be the first things they see.

Type Workspace Digital into Facebook… first page results include a Facebook rating.

Bottom line – reviews create the first impression of your company when people search for you.

Now for a couple obvious but noteworthy points…

First… quantity matters. People will respond better to larger numbers of positive reviews. I’d rather have 100 mostly five out of five star reviews than one. Even though the average is higher on the single review, the higher quantity will be more effective.

Second… people are more likely to leave negative reviews. If your business is poorly rated, stay positive. You have 100 people who love working for you but that one person who didn’t work out was asked by Glassdoor to publicly vent their frustration in exchange for some insights on salaries at your competition.

Now for the action items…

As an individual… review away! It’s a fantastic way to add value to the company you work for and to those you value. And it’s quick, free and easy.

If you’re in a leadership role, or if you want to greatly impress someone in a leadership role… here are my suggestions.

One, start by googling your own business. This will show you which platforms currently have reviews and are showing up in search results. I suggest you start by focusing on any platforms that show up results, but that have low, poor or no reviews. These are the ones you’ll want to focus on changing first.

Two, ask your team to rate and review! There is nothing illegal or unethical about this… these platforms are meant for people to review companies. You can literally change the way your business is perceived on search in a day or two through a quick company message and possibly a short tutorial to show them how to take action. If you have an engaged team of digital advocates at your company – shameless plug to watch my other videos on how to achieve this – then you’ll have an easy time of this.

Once you’ve exhausted your team, ask your customers. Start with your best customers who already love you. Some companies even choose to incentivize review and ratings requests with things like amazon or starbucks gifts cards.

Just be sure to say thanks when you do get a review. Could you image what it would be like if you didn’t show appreciation to someone who gave you positive feedback in the real world?

Engage with negative reviews too! Many people read negative reviews and a response from your business (which many platforms allow and display) will help. In most instances, ratings and reviews can be updated by the poster. Great companies turn one star ratings into five.

Finally… don’t forget that people can also be reviewed… and most of us appreciate appreciation. I love LinkedIn for personal professional reviews. You can review a person on LinkedIn a recommendation or ‘rate’ them with an endorsement. This helps to build their personal brand and shows them you value them.

Reviews certainly have a lot of power. Fortunately, it’s easy to manage your reputation and to help build up the reputation of companies and people you care about. If you want some activating your team, developing a strategy or reaching out to your customers, my company, Workspace Digital can help. If you enjoyed this video and learned something new… leave me a review! Or even just a comment with any questions, feedback or ideas for future topics.

As always, thanks for spending some time with me today. Have a successful week!